—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
‘This class is going to be cancelled too.’
‘I should be able to train for about two hours.’
With each class typically lasting two hours, he had about two hours to spare, considering the break time.
Kim Seok-cheol’s primary focus was Other Studies; he hadn’t chosen any additional majors. His goal was to inherit his father’s legacy as a blacksmith and elevate his family to nobility.
And his proven skill, ranking 8th in his year, was the driving force behind achieving that goal.
However, Kim Seok-cheol’s main interest lately had shifted elsewhere.
‘Lee Seok-hyun.’
Unlike Woo Do-hyun and Yu So-hyun, Lee Seok-hyun seemed like an ordinary commoner with nothing special to offer, yet there was a strange sense of distinction about him.
If he had flaunted extraordinary talents like the other two, it would have been easier to understand, but…
Lee Seok-hyun was an enigma.
No one could definitively explain how he had placed first in the survival game. And judging by his performance in the barehanded sparring sessions, he didn’t seem weak either.
He had solved all five of Professor Lee Hwa-ryeong’s carefully selected problems and even become class president with such ease.
‘It’s fascinating.’
They had all entered the academy on the same day, yet there was a strange aura of experience surrounding Lee Seok-hyun.
In fact, that aura was probably what made him class president.
The most surprising thing was that he had chosen a double major.
‘And not just one, but all three.’
It was incredibly rare for students to successfully advance to the next year after taking a double major in Magic, Martial Arts, and Other Studies. Most gave up before they even reached that point.
Since there were many students with strong academic ambitions, the professors carefully evaluated those who applied for a double major.
The fact that even Benras had struggled to choose both Magic and Other Studies spoke volumes.
Yet, Lee Seok-hyun had been allowed to take all three majors without any special scrutiny.
It could be seen as preferential treatment, but everyone knew what he was capable of, so they remained silent.
‘No, it’s not preferential treatment because of what he’s shown us.’
Kim Seok-cheol organized his thoughts and headed straight for the blacksmithing workshop in the Other Studies building.
It was a class that would normally be cancelled if only one student signed up, but this time, two other students had registered, preventing its cancellation.
‘I wonder who they are. Are they all aspiring blacksmiths like me?’
Kim Seok-cheol had worked tirelessly to achieve his impressive 8th place ranking, but he didn’t consider it a symbol of power.
He believed that it was simply an indicator of his effort and achievements, and that it shouldn’t be used to discriminate against others.
He was confident that he could befriend anyone, even students from Class F.
He understood that they might see him as a senior due to the difference in skill level.
He entered the blacksmithing workshop, lost in happy thoughts, and…
“Seok-hyun, someone’s here.”
“It’s not just ‘someone,’ it’s our classmate. Don’t you even know that?”
“I’m bad with names.”
“That’s something to be proud of.”
He saw Lee Seok-hyun sitting in front of an anvil with a serious expression, and Meiri standing behind him with a blank face.
‘What kind of combination is this?’
He was dumbfounded.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
‘Hmm, as expected, Kim Seok-cheol is here.’
Fortunately, this part was unfolding according to the game’s script.
‘I’m nervous. I have no idea what kind of butterfly effect I might cause.’
It was only natural that the future was difficult to predict in a game with so many branching paths. “Final Destiny” was a game with countless endings and routes, so it was impossible to know exactly what would happen with every decision he made.
Therefore, it was better to complete his tasks as quickly as possible.
‘Kim Seok-cheol is an essential character for Lee Seok-hyun.’
Lee Seok-hyun, who was born with nothing but the ability to monopolize hidden skills, needed to be decked out in top-tier equipment.
And not just decent, cost-effective equipment, but cheat-level gear to even function properly.
That was because equipment was an important element in a game where acquiring numerous skills was crucial.
In that sense, Kim Seok-cheol was an exceptional equipment crafter.
From his main skill [Blacksmith] to [Touch of a Masterpiece] and [Artisan’s Soul], which he had naturally acquired from his blacksmithing family…
Most of Kim Seok-cheol’s creations were considered masterpieces, so he was someone I had to befriend.
In fact, the main reason I chose Baktor’s class was because Kim Seok-cheol was taking it.
The other 30% was because I wanted to be able to maintain my own equipment when I started focusing on gear.
“Hi Seok-cheol, we’re neighbors. Did you know?”
“Uh…yeah, I know.”
“Let’s be friends.”
“Uh…sure, I’d like that.”
The awkward moment of introducing yourselves and breaking the ice at the beginning of the semester was inevitable.
That’s where the title of class president came in handy.
It was the perfect position to know everyone’s names and approach them casually without raising too much suspicion.
“Oh! Everyone’s here. Then let’s begin the class. What’s the new student’s name?”
“Kim Seok-cheol.”
“Have you ever done blacksmithing before, Seok-cheol?”
“Yes, I’m not very skilled, but I can manage basic Mana Forging.”
“Oh, you can already use Mana Forging as a first-year? Impressive!”
The conversation felt like something out of a cheap RPG, but it was understandable.
The awkwardness between a professor who had barely escaped cancellation and a student who secretly admired him was inevitable.
They were both being too cautious, making the conversation stiff and artificial.
“Well, then, I guess I should introduce myself.”
Baktor awkwardly walked to the chalkboard and began writing.
“First, my name is Baktor Bubemus. You can call me Bak-ssam.”
““Yes.””
“Thanks for the response, but you don’t have to answer every time. Now, I’ll explain why blacksmiths are necessary and the kind of influence they have.”
Baktor started the class by boosting their self-esteem. It was a considerate gesture, understanding that they might feel discouraged for taking an unpopular course with only three students.
He covered everything from crafting and using weapons to maintaining them and ensuring their longevity.
It was a basic theory class that emphasized the importance of blacksmiths and the impact they could have on a party.
“You might think, ‘Why would a blacksmith join a party?’ but opportunities to meet skilled blacksmiths are rare during adventures.”
If a party had a tank, a healer, and a damage dealer, I believe the next essential member is a blacksmith.
He continued to emphasize the importance of blacksmiths, highlighting their necessity in real-world situations.
He was probably trying to boost their confidence and encourage them to continue taking the class, but it was a pointless endeavor.
‘Even if Meiri doesn’t know, Kim Seok-cheol and I will definitely learn.’
It wasn’t entirely meaningless, but Kim Seok-cheol was already brimming with passion for blacksmithing, and I already understood its importance.
‘Baktor is the only one in the academy who can enhance Arachne.’
There were ways to enhance it outside the academy, but he had other things to do out there, so it was better to complete as much as he could within the academy.
The weapon with the long name, “Gloves Touched by Arachne’s Breath,” had a surprisingly short lifespan, despite its grand title.
‘It was barely useful even in the early and mid-game.’
It could be considered a short-lived weapon, practically useless once he obtained the Spider title.
‘It was amazing when the warden cherished and obtained it, but now that I’m inside the academy, it’s lost its meaning.’
If he hadn’t acquired the title, he might have cherished and cared for the weapon, but now he needed to enhance it as quickly as possible.
Even if there was a high chance of the weapon being destroyed during the enhancement process, he had no choice.
‘I have to move as quickly as possible while I can.’
Baktor diligently explained the theory, and then, perhaps sensing that they might get bored, he led them to the anvils.
“That’s enough theory for now. It’s time for some hands-on practice. Seok-cheol, since you can use Mana Forging, try making a sword on your own.”
You don’t have to rush. Just do what you can until the end of class.
As soon as Baktor finished speaking, Kim Seok-cheol nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling.
Mana Forging.
While traditional forging involved shaping heated metal by hammering it, Mana Forging involved imbuing the hammer with mana.
It had various effects, but simply put, it was an upgraded version of traditional forging.
As soon as the topic of practical training came up, Meiri moved away from me and maintained an observer’s stance.
I had sensed it during the theory lesson, but she seemed completely disinterested in blacksmithing.
‘She’s not going to follow this path.’
Meiri probably hadn’t chosen this class without any thought, so she would definitely switch if it didn’t suit her.
Since I had already mentioned that I couldn’t manipulate mana, I started hammering metal in front of the furnace, sweating profusely.
Baktor looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, “What if he quits?” but that only made me feel more pressured.
Anyway, after an hour of diligently hammering metal, I achieved a satisfactory result.
Ding!
========================
Blacksmithing (Beginner) acquired.
========================
‘That’s enough for now.’
He had finished the basics. Now it was time for the main event.
‘Gainad’s Martial Arts class and Acasa’s single-lineage inheritance.’
It was time for some serious training.
‘I should hurry up and get there to warm up.’
As soon as the class ended, Baktor made us put down our tools.
He showered us with encouraging words, like fuel to a fire, praising our efforts and telling us that we would get used to it, that we were doing well, and that we had talent. He even saw us off personally.
As I was heading towards the Martial Arts building after that kind of send-off… I saw something in the distance.
“What’s that?”
“Hmm?”
Zombies? Vampires? A demon invasion?
He couldn’t tell for sure, but a group of pale-skinned people in white coats were groaning and walking towards them.
“Senior Bermu! That’s where Lee Seok-hyun is!”
“I see him! I see him! We finally made it! Just a little further!”
“How about we use wind magic to increase our speed?”
“No! How can we use such tricks when we’re trying to bring in our adorable junior? Have you forgotten Professor Gi Joo-seon’s words about sincerity?”
“Ah, I apologize!”
They seemed to be shouting, but their voices were barely audible, like mosquitoes buzzing in the hallway.
‘White coats, Gi Joo-seon, Bermu… Bermu?’
Forgotten game knowledge resurfaced, and I finally understood what was happening.
‘They’re here to recruit me.’
It was a natural consequence, assuming the rumors about me solving Lee Hwa-ryeong’s five problems had reached the professors’ ears.
They called it “recruitment,” but it was practically kidnapping.
Who could refuse when a group like that surrounded you and said, “It’s okay to refuse, but let’s just go to the lab first”?
“There he is! Increase your speed!”
“Everyone, walk faster!”
“I’m so tired! I’m not used to walking this much!”
“Damn it! I used to easily walk over 30,000 steps a day before I joined the lab!”
“300 meters is so far!”
“Lee Seok-hyun! Which one is Lee Seok-hyun?!”
I strained my senses to eavesdrop on their conversation and was relieved to discover that they hadn’t properly identified me yet.
It seemed Gi Joo-seon had only told them my name and that I was a first-year student.
In that case, there was only one thing to do.
“Seok-cheol, remember what I said about being friends?”
“Huh? Uh…yeah.”
“Friends help each other out, right?”
“Huh?”
If you ignored the questioning tone, it was a clear affirmation. I moved away from Kim Seok-cheol slightly and shouted,
“Hey, look who it is! It’s Lee Seok-hyun, the 6th ranked first-year and representative speaker!”
With those words, I ran in the opposite direction without looking back.
“We found him! We found him!”
“Hallelujah! Hula-la-ya!”
“Lee Seok-hyun! Lee Seok-hyun! Lee Seok-hyun!”
“You are my slave! You are my rest! You are my vacation!”
“I’m crazy for you! I’m crazy for you! I’m crazy for you!”
“W-what is this? That’s not me! I’m really not him! Aaaaaargh!!!”
I ignored the sounds coming from behind me.
Friends were the best.
There was no better shield than a friend.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[and anotha one]
Nah bro really had to sacrifice him to the wolves
he pushed him into the horde
Bro trust issues become like a tissue